GEIPAN (an acronym for ''Groupe d'Études et d'Informations sur les Phénomènes Aérospatiaux Non-identifiés'', or unidentified aerospace phenomenon research and information group). (), its name since September 2005. (The group was formerly known as GEPAN from 1977 to 1988, and SEPRA from 1988 to 2004), is a unit of the French Space Agency
CNES whose brief is to investigate unidentified aerospace phenomena (UAP), and make its findings available to the public.
The French
Gendarmerie
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was instructed to channel data from reports of
UFO sightings to SEPRA, which therefore was in a position to draw on a large database of such events. In cases where physical traces appeared to be present, SEPRA could call on the technical resources of
CNES to perform a thorough scientific investigation. A famous example of such an investigation was in the
Trans-en-Provence Case.
In March 2007, GEIPAN started to make it
archives available onlineto the public.
French skeptics have criticized the quality of the work of the GEPAN.
[Rossoni, D., Maillot, E., & Déguillaume, E. (2007). Les ovnis du CNES – 30 ans d’études officielles. www.book-e-book.com]
(extracts from the book in French)
. Critical skeptical investigations of GEPAN's work.
See also
*
List of UFO organizations
References
External links
*
GEIPAN official siteGoals and history of GEIPANon the
CNES website.
''From GEPAN to SEPRA: Official UFO studies in France''(International UFO Review, winter 2000–2001), the earlier years of GEIPAN related by Gildas Bourdais.
{{Authority control
CNES
Government responses to UFOs
1977 establishments in France
Organizations established in 1977
Space program of France
UFO organizations